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TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com
clicking all-around, the defense
might have it easier.
Edge: Michigan
Special teams
This space in almost every
installment of this preview this
year has discussed how Michigan’s
opponent has not had a playmaker
to match Peppers. Maryland did
have that in decorated senior Will
Likely — until Likely tore his ACL
on Oct. 15, ending his career.
We would have looked forward
to seeing Peppers and Likely duel in
the return game, but it now appears
that Michigan has a significant
edge. Peppers is still a major threat
on punts and kickoffs, and few
know that better than Durkin, so
perhaps the Terrapins will choose
to kick away from the Heisman
Trophy candidate on the other side.
Even in that case, Michigan often
ends up with good field position.
The Wolverines’ special teams
are back in rhythm, too. Fifth-year
senior kicker Kenny Allen’s three
field goals last week made him 9-for-
13, and his punting never wavered.
Maryland kicker Adam Greene is
6-for-8 with a long of just 36, and
Durkin has sent out the kicking team
just twice in the past five games.
Edge: Michigan
Intangibles
Maryland defensive end Roman
Braglio told reporters in College
Park this week that Durkin brought
up the possibility of beating the
Associated Press’ No. 2 team in
the country, and Braglio said the
thought gave him chills.
In that way, Saturday’s game
could be like many others Michigan
has played: The Wolverines will
treat it like any other, while their
upset-hungry opponent will play like
it’s the biggest game of their season.
Durkin will want a strong showing
against his former boss, and in his
first matchup against one of the top
dogs in the Big Ten East, he’ll want
his team to be competitive at least.
But even as the hype has picked
up steam, Michigan hasn’t missed a
beat. This week’s motivation could be
the College Football Playoff rankings
that came out this week, putting
the Wolverines at No. 3 and in the
playoff if the season ended now. The
Wolverines may not treat this game
differently, but they have plenty to
play for in their home stadium.
Edge: Push
Prediction: Michigan 41,
Maryland 15
What to Watch For: Durkin’s return,
Butt’s resurgence, Peppers, defense
The Michigan football season
is now two-thirds complete, and
the Wolverines find themselves
firmly in control of their own
destiny.
After debuting at No. 3 in the
first College Football Playoff
rankings of 2016, Michigan has
a clear path to the playoff if it
wins out. But winning out is no
guarantee.
While the Wolverines should
be favored in each of the three
games prior to a road showdown
at No. 6 Ohio State, they’ll have
to take care of business to reach
that game intact. That quest
starts Saturday, when they host
a rebuilt Maryland team manned
by former Michigan defensive
coordinator DJ Durkin.
Here’s what to watch for when
the teams take the field Saturday.
1. What does Durkin have up
his sleeve?
Just one year removed from
coaching
every
starter
on
Michigan’s
current
defense,
Durkin has the benefit of knowing
some of the tendencies of most
Wolverine starters. He could try
to exploit those tendencies, but
it’s far from a guarantee any flaws
the Wolverines had under Durkin
will still be present Saturday.
Under
Don
Brown,
the
Wolverines’ defense has reached
new heights, currently leading
the nation in both scoring and
total defense.
It wouldn’t be a surprise
for Durkin to come out with a
specially tailored game plan
to attack certain facets of the
Michigan defense. It might be a
surprise if it works.
2. Will Butt be more involved?
After racking up 15 catches for
192 yards and three touchdowns
in the Wolverines’ first three
games, Butt has totaled just
seven for 80 yards and a score
in their last three. It’s not that
Butt has been doing anything
wrong — he caught a deep pass
against the Spartans — but he
hasn’t been the late-down safety
blanket he was at the season’s
outset.
Part of that, to be sure, can be
attributed to the emergence of
fifth-year senior receiver Amara
Darboh, and part seems tied
to the fact that Speight hasn’t
needed a safety blanket. But
Michigan’s offense is at its most
dangerous when Butt is heavily
involved.
3. Jabrill Peppers’ Heisman
campaign
Ever
since
he
unleashed
Peppers against Rutgers last
month, Michigan coach Jim
Harbaugh has been putting his
do-it-all
redshirt
sophomore
in more positions to make
highlight plays.
While
Illinois
seemed
to
have Peppers snuffed out all
game, the multi-position star
made his impact felt in a big
way against Michigan State
with
a
rushing
touchdown,
defensive two-point conversion,
two tackles for loss and a sack.
Durkin knows exactly how good
Peppers is, but knowing might
not be enough.
Harbaugh
has
publicly
stumped for Peppers to win the
Heisman Trophy, but if he’s going
to overtake Louisville’s Lamar
Jackson, Peppers will need to do
more than just make big hits and
score the occasional touchdown.
Expect Peppers to take his
usual wildcat quarterback reps
in the red zone, and maybe even
throw a pass out of the formation
for the first time all season.
4. Will the defense respond to a
down week?
After giving up 401 total yards
and two late touchdowns against
Michigan State last week, the
Michigan defense will be out to
prove that performance was an
anomaly.
Behind a litany of missed
tackles that had players displeased
after the game, the Wolverines
allowed the Spartans to crawl back
into a game that was 30-10 halfway
through
the
fourth
quarter.
Saturday, Maryland could either
take advantage of that or be the
victim of a vicious rebound effect.
MAX BULTMAN
Managing Sports Editor
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Senior tight end Jake Butt’s production has slowed down in recent weeks, but he’ll have his chances Saturday.